Nia POV
After entering the Hagen Pack village, all I could think was how it was very different from what I had imagined. It looked like a normal neighborhood with houses all lined up in neat rows with some having backyards. Of course, I couldn't see the real beauty of the place due to it being under 2 feet of snow but I could only imagine how beautiful it must look in the spring and summer.
When I pulled up to the main house, saying I was surprised would be an understatement. I would have never thought a place like this existed far back in these woods. The front was light up with warm lighting, adding to the effect of its grandeur while being just enough to feel welcoming.
To think that one day I would be living here brought me back to reality and I thought of how adjusting to living this new life was going to be. This was the place me and Travis were going to call home along with our future kids but I had to stop myself from thinking too far ahead because all I needed to be focused on right now was making a good first impression on the pack.
After Jesse welcomed me inside he led me to a seat in the living room that along with the outside, had me amazed. The high ceilings structured with beams of logs and an Elk antler chandelier only added to the wilderness aesthetic of the place.
When I heard footsteps approaching, I looked to my right to see Travis walking up with a smile on his face before reaching his hand out and pulling me up, wrapping his strong arms around me in a warm hug. The smell of his cologne invaded my senses with a scent of sandalwood and lavender that had me feeling relaxed.
"How does my Luna like her home?"
"Travis, it's beautiful. Everything from the outside design to the interior decor ties the place together."
"I'm glad you like it, since very soon you will be the lady of the house and in charge of seeing that all the household chores are done by the staff, but only after you've completed your Luna lessons that Stacy is going to help you with."
"How long do these lessons take to learn?, It's not like I don't want to do it because I know how important it is that I'm a good asset to the pack so everything keeps running efficiently," I said a bit worried at hearing my new lifestyle training.
"First off you're not an asset, you are my mate and I will be there for you whenever you need me. Whether it's meeting with other pack ambassadors or solving a problem within the pack itself, I'm also going to help you learn these new customs, and don't forget, you'll also have other pack officials here to help you if I'm not around."
"How is Stacy going to help me and also run her shop in town, that seems like it would be asking a lot of her don't you think?"
"Well after you've moved in, Stacy will be handing over her shop to someone else and become your Luna assistant. She'll be helping you schedule pack events, meetings, and even some negotiations concerning wolf and human relations with the few trusted humans that know of the pack's existence," he said looking at me with care. His words did help ease my mind a bit, but the main thing right now was to show my new pack and Alpha that I was ready for this life-changing journey that I'm about to embark on, so I took a deep breath and looked up at Travis saying, "I'm ready to do this," and with that statement, he led me over to the back door that opened up to a large deck that overlooked a large snow-covered field with a cleared stone path down the middle.
After walking down the path, we reached the top of a small hill where I could look down and see what looked like a Viking longhouse with smoke coming from the chimneys and people entering the front. Some of them stopped and watched us as we came down the hill before they went inside, which added to my anxiety at meeting all these new people.
"It's ok Nia, once they get to know you, you'll see how fun being a part of a large pack can be. Wolves are generally suspicious of newcomers since we live in a tight-knit society where outsiders can be considered a threat to pack safety but they know their Luna is coming tonight, so everyone knows to respect you."
I still have to remember that these aren't just people but also wolves that are infused with the animal instinct that they've been using for thousands of years, so I have to be understanding if they do stuff that's normal for them but strange to me.
When we got to the entrance, I was met with the warm smell of a feast that put my mind at ease and when we walked in, I couldn't believe how it looked. long tables with plates, silverware, decorations, and little candles that helped give the place a warm glow.
As Travis led me to the front, I could feel the stares of those around us and by looking at them, I could see the curiosity in their eyes. Some gave a small bow with their head, while others turned their gaze away instead of staring for too long. If I didn't know they were werewolves, I would have thought they were just normal people but they were anything but that. The one thing I was happy about were some of the little children giving me a wave and then going back to their parents as we passed by. I looked up forward to see he was leading me to the main table at the front of the hall where I could see Stacy, Jesse, Garrett, and Anna sitting on the sides with two vacant seats in the middle which were obviously for me and Travis to sit.
After we both had a seat, I noticed Travis have a focused look on his face while his eyes glazed over and all of a sudden everyone went silent, stood at attention, and faced our table at the front. I now see how useful a pack-wide mindlink is, such as in the case of an emergency, everyone would be notified at once.
He then stood along with everyone else, so I took it as a sign to stand also before I felt him take my hand in his.
"Everyone, tonight we gather not only to celebrate the Yuletide Hunt but to also welcome into the pack, my mate and your future Luna Nia", he said raising my hand with his while the crowd cheered and clapped. The only one's not showing the same enthusiasm were of course Anna and Garrett, who looked at me with disdain. I just looked away as the lights dimmed down and the only light source was the candles on the tables and walls. Not knowing what this meant I looked up at Travis to see his eyes were now glowing gold along with everyone else's as I looked out across the crowd.
Everyone's wolf was at the surface now to welcome me which I felt honored by, considering I'm the only human here right now. The crowd then joined together in welcoming me all at once.
"Welcome Luna, we are your faithful pack that promises to protect, abide by and honor the tradition of our leaders of the past, present, and future. Should any of us break this promise, then may our bond with the pack also be broken either by exile or death. From young to old, we all pledge our allegiance to you and the Hagen pack"
Never have I felt so much emotion as I do right now. All of these people were pledging their allegiance to me and I was starting to feel more like one of them after that introduction.
Travis POV
Everything was going great, the pack and their wolves had accepted Nia and I can tell that she was feeling more welcomed now that she's met them. There's only one more thing I need to do and that asks her to move into the Main house with me, where she would have her own suite along with a personal maid to help her. In werewolf society, It's customary for the Luna to move into the same house as her mate once that pack has accepted her. This is mostly done to make sure she stays safe, now that her new status will be known to other packs that may want to kidnap or harm her to force the Alpha into doing anything they want.
Living here will help her get more accustomed to how things run in a pack and help her get to know everyone. I just hope she says yes because I want to start involving her more in pack life to go along with her Luna training, so if there was any time to ask her this question, then now would be it.
Once she was done eating and having talked with some of the others, I pulled her aside and led her out front with two glasses of wine brought to me by one of the serving staff. I made sure they gave her a non-alcoholic one while I had the werewolf version that's twice as strong as regular human wine.
"First off Nia, I just really want to say how happy you've made me at your acceptance of being my mate and this whole new lifestyle. Not only am I happy you're here but the pack is also excited to have a new Luna leading them and help their Alpha with producing and training the next generation of pack heirs that will take over when we retire from our roles. What I'm trying to ask you Nia is if you are ready to move in with me ?"
At first, she had a look of shock on her face that soon turned into a worried questioning expression.
"When you say move in, are you talking about both of us sharing the same room and bed without going through the proper ceremony? I know that eventually, we will be together but I just didn't know that with wolves, everything happens so fast like this."
"Oh no Nia, there is no rush. I would never ask or put you in a situation you're uncomfortable with. When you first move into the main house, you will have your private suite on the same floor as me, complete with a personal maid that will help you with getting anything you need. Only after you're Luna training is complete, will you go through the Luna ceremony where you take the oath and become the official Luna. After that, we will have the marriage ceremony and later on that night we will consummate our eternal mate bond."
I could see she was absorbing all this information while looking away deep in thought before looking back at me with a smile.
"I've already accepted you and the pack, so the only thing left is the customs and procedures, which I gladly accept", she said looking up at me with a big smile on her face.
More and more this woman was showing me how it felt to be deeply caring for someone. I would do anything for her if it meant that she would be safe and happy. I raised my glass as she did the same and toasted our new matehood before we both took a sip of our drinks.
Nia POV
I was excited about this new step I was taking in my life. I have a wonderful man in my life that cares so much about me while in turn, I've opened myself up more to him. This moment felt perfect until I noticed Travis having a pained expression on his face while grabbing his chest and taking deep breaths.
"Travis, are you okay, should I call for help?" I asked worriedly.
He then dropped down to his knees while letting out a raspy mix between a human voice and a beastly growl. I knelt beside him worried while lifting his head to face me, only to be met with his deep gold eyes. This was now Håkon looking at me and not Travis, who was no longer at the surface. Sweat was forming on his face and his body was now shaking as he started to claw at himself while grinding his teeth.
"Nia, I'm sorry but I need you to get away from me now!"
"Håkon what's happening, what's wrong with Travis, please let him come back", I pleaded while starting to panic at how terrifying this situation has gotten.
"I can't, he's no longer in control and you're in danger right now, so go!" he growled before pushing me away making me fall to the ground in shock as I looked back to see Travis's body on his hands and knees digging his fingers into the ground while letting out a painful growling howl before his body made a bunch of loud cracking sounds before his form went from a normal human to a giant raging gray wolf.
I didn't know what to do right now, my body was paralyzed with fear at what I just witnessed. This was no longer Travis, this was the wild bloodthirsty beast he had kept hidden from me all this time, and based on how he had me locked in his predatory gaze, there was no way I was going to survive this.